Planning Commission Subdivision Items

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Planning Commission met on October 13, 2016, at 1:34 PM in the Council Chambers of the Urban County Government Building at 200 East Main Street in Lexington, Kentucky, with Bill Wilson presiding. The commission addressed six agenda items during the session, taking six votes on various planning matters including development plans, amendments, and administrative business. The meeting included approval of previous meeting minutes, consideration of multiple development proposals, and review of property amendments, with most items receiving approval except for one postponement. No public comments were heard during this session, and no presentations were given beyond the standard agenda item discussions.

Attendance

The following members were present at the October 13, 2016 meeting:

• Bill Wilson
• Frank Penn
• Mike Cravens
• Mike Owens
• Carolyn Richardson
• Karen Mundy
• Carolyn Plumlee
• Joseph Smith
• David Drake (arrived late)

Absent: • Will Berkley • Patrick Brewer

Late Arrival: • David Drake

Nine members attended the meeting, with two members absent and one member arriving after the scheduled start time.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included six formal votes, all of which passed unanimously.

Minutes Approval 0:30 Carolyn Plumlee motioned to approve the September 8, 2016, minutes, seconded by Karen Mundy. The motion passed unanimously with 8 ayes and 0 nays. Voting in favor were Bill Wilson, Frank Penn, Mike Cravens, Mike Owens, Carolyn Richardson, Karen Mundy, Carolyn Plumlee, and Joseph Smith.

South Elkhorn Village Postponement (PLN-MJDP-16-00024) 2:30 Frank Penn motioned to postpone the South Elkhorn Village amendment, seconded by Carolyn Plumlee. The postponement passed unanimously with 8 ayes and 0 nays, with the same members voting in favor. The item was postponed to the November 10, 2016, meeting.

Consent Agenda 6:00 Mike Cravens motioned to approve the Consent Agenda items, seconded by Carolyn Richardson. The motion passed unanimously with 9 ayes and 0 nays. David Drake joined the previous eight members in voting for approval.

Cadentown Amendment (PLN-MJSUB-16-00008) 12:00 Mike Owens motioned to approve the Cadentown - Bernitha L. Kendrick Property, Lot 1 amendment, seconded by Carolyn Plumlee. The motion passed unanimously with 9 ayes and 0 nays, subject to revised conditions as recommended by staff. All nine members voted in favor.

Clay Ingels Company Development Plan (PLN-MJDP-16-00005) 22:00 Mike Cravens motioned to approve the Clay Ingels Company, LLC development plan, seconded by Joseph Smith. The motion passed unanimously with 9 ayes and 0 nays, subject to revised conditions as recommended by staff.

Lexington Self Storage Development Plan (PLN-MJDP-16-00019) 45:00 Carolyn Richardson motioned to approve the Lexington Self Storage development plan, seconded by Karen Mundy. The motion passed unanimously with 9 ayes and 0 nays, subject to revised conditions as recommended by staff.

Appointments

The council took action on three reappointments to the Urban County Planning Commission during the October 13, 2016 meeting.

The following individuals were reappointed to serve on the Urban County Planning Commission:

• Karen Mundy - reappointed to the Urban County Planning Commission
• Mike Owens - reappointed to the Urban County Planning Commission
• Patrick Brewer - reappointed to the Urban County Planning Commission

All three appointments involved reappointing existing members to continue their service on the planning commission, which plays a key role in reviewing development proposals and land use matters for the urban county area.

Contested Items

The October 13, 2016 meeting featured two development plans that generated significant discussion among board members and staff.

Clay Ingels Company, LLC Development Plan

The most contentious issue involved a disagreement over tree canopy requirements for the Clay Ingels Company, LLC development plan. The applicant had requested a complete waiver of tree canopy requirements, seeking approval for 0% canopy coverage on their property. However, planning staff took a more conservative approach, recommending that the board approve only a 50% reduction in the required tree canopy coverage rather than the full waiver requested by the developer.

This substantial gap between what the applicant wanted and what staff recommended led to heated discussion during the meeting, as board members weighed the competing interests of development flexibility against environmental preservation standards.

Lexington Self Storage Development Plan

The second contested item centered on the Lexington Self Storage development plan, which faced scrutiny over its potential environmental impact and infrastructure requirements. The discussion focused on two primary concerns: the proposed development's effect on existing tree canopy in the area and the necessity of securing an easement agreement with Kentucky Utilities to proceed with the project.

Board members engaged in heated discussion about these issues, likely debating whether the development's benefits justified the tree canopy impact and examining the feasibility and timeline for obtaining the required utility easement. The utility easement component added complexity to the approval process, as it involved coordination with an external entity beyond the direct control of either the applicant or the planning board.

Both items required careful consideration of balancing development needs with environmental and infrastructure concerns, leading to extended deliberation during the meeting.

Approval of September 8, 2016, minutes

0:30

The commission reviewed and discussed the minutes from their September 8, 2016, meeting. Bill Wilson participated in the discussion regarding the accuracy and completeness of the recorded proceedings from the previous meeting.

Following the review, the commission voted to approve the September 8, 2016, minutes as presented. The approval allows the minutes to serve as the official record of that meeting's proceedings.

South Elkhorn Village amendment

2:30

The commission discussed agenda item PLN-MJDP-16-00024, the South Elkhorn Village amendment, during the meeting. Rory Kahly served as the key speaker for this item.

The discussion centered on the postponement of the South Elkhorn Village amendment due to outstanding questions regarding specific elements of the proposed development. The primary concerns that led to the postponement involved:

• Questions about the proposed drive-through facility
• Issues regarding the patio cover design and implementation

The commission determined that these unresolved questions required additional review and clarification before the amendment could proceed. Rather than moving forward with incomplete information, the commission opted to postpone consideration of the South Elkhorn Village amendment.

The outcome of this agenda item was a postponement, allowing time for the applicant to address the commission's concerns about the drive-through and patio cover elements of the proposal. This postponement ensures that all aspects of the amendment can be thoroughly reviewed before the commission makes a final determination on the South Elkhorn Village development proposal.

Consent Agenda

6:00

The commission reviewed and approved several items included on the consent agenda during this portion of the meeting. Bill Sallee served as the key speaker for this agenda item.

The consent agenda contained multiple subdivision and development plans that required commission approval. These items were grouped together as routine matters that typically do not require extensive discussion or debate.

The commission proceeded to approve the consent agenda items as presented. No specific concerns were raised during the review of these materials, and the approval process moved forward without opposition.

The outcome was the approval of all items included on the consent agenda, allowing the various subdivision and development plans to proceed through the approval process.

Cadentown - Bernitha L. Kendrick Property, Lot 1 amendment

12:00

The commission reviewed agenda item PLN-MJSUB-16-00008, an amendment for the Cadentown - Bernitha L. Kendrick Property involving the subdivision of one lot into two lots.

Tom Martin served as the key speaker presenting this subdivision amendment to the commission. The proposal involved dividing a single existing lot into two separate parcels on the Bernitha L. Kendrick property in the Cadentown area.

Following discussion of the subdivision proposal, the commission voted to approve the amendment. However, the approval came with revised conditions that were incorporated into the final decision, though the specific details of these conditions were not detailed in the available materials.

The commission's approval allows the property owner to proceed with the lot subdivision, subject to meeting the revised conditions established during the review process. This subdivision amendment will result in the creation of two separate buildable lots from the original single parcel.

Clay Ingels Company, LLC development plan

22:00

The commission reviewed development plan PLN-MJDP-16-00005 for Clay Ingels Company, LLC during this agenda item. Tom Martin served as the key speaker presenting information about the proposed development.

The commission engaged in discussion regarding the specifics of the development plan, though the detailed content of the presentation and debate points are not specified in the available materials. Following their review and deliberation of the proposal, the commission reached a decision on the application.

The commission ultimately approved the Clay Ingels Company, LLC development plan. However, the approval came with conditions, as the commission determined that revised conditions should be applied to the project. The specific nature of these revised conditions was not detailed in the summary materials.

This approval represents the commission's determination that the development plan, as modified by the revised conditions, meets the necessary requirements and standards for moving forward with the proposed project.

Lexington Self Storage development plan

45:00

The commission reviewed development plan PLN-MJDP-16-00019 for Lexington Self Storage during the meeting. Tom Martin served as the key speaker presenting the proposal to the commission.

The commission engaged in discussion regarding the development plan, examining various aspects of the proposed self-storage facility project. While the specific details of the presentation and debate were not captured in the available materials, the commission ultimately reached a decision on the application.

Following their review and discussion, the commission approved the Lexington Self Storage development plan. However, the approval came with revised conditions that were established during the meeting process. The nature of these revised conditions was not detailed in the available summary materials.

The approval of PLN-MJDP-16-00019 allows the Lexington Self Storage project to move forward in the development process, subject to compliance with the conditions set forth by the commission during their review.